by Leah Justice

leah.justice@tryondailybulletin.com

After meeting with the N.C. Local Government Commission (LGC) and discovering a contract in its current form with Inman-Campobello Water District (ICWD) will not be state-approved, the Polk County Board of Commissioners reviewed that it has spent $7,625,667 on its water system.

While the LGC said it was supportive of an agreement between Polk County and ICWD, LGC officials also cautioned the contract having any future impacts on the taxpayer and did not seem in support of Polk County spending taxpayer money so far on its entire water system, indicating the county needs an enterprise fund where ratepayers who receive the service pay for the infrastructure in the future. County commissioners met with the LGC in Raleigh on Jan. 8 and met for a regular board meeting on Feb. 2 where a couple of discussions regarding the LGC meeting and the county’s water system occurred.

Commissioners discussed the LCG meeting and acknowledged that the current contract with ICWD would not be accepted by the state.

Commissioner Ray Gasperson said he wants to get a conversation started on how the board of commissioners can move forward now that the LGC has given a definitive answer on the proposed contract.

Gasperson said he will advocate that the board, along with citizen participation and possibly hiring an expert advisor, take the necessary time over the next weeks and months to: evaluate the county’s current distribution system and water supplies; evaluate future needs so the county can be prepared for expected residential and commercial growth patterns; receive recommendations for system expansions and improvements; and most importantly, Gasperson said, develop a capital improvement program.

“I have to say the trip to Raleigh was a real eye-opener for me,” Gasperson told other commissioners.

He said one question he had was how much the county has spent on Lake Adger and water lines and the county’s educated guess to the LGC didn’t miss the mark by much.

Commissioner chair Tom Pack estimated to the LGC that Polk has spent $5-$6 million on its water system.

Gasperson also said he had to admit with rare exception he has voted for most everything concerning water. He said Pack is right when he noted that the county will soon have public water to all its fire departments and school and the expansion has included a lot of fire hydrants in the county. He also said the water system the county has put in has been a trigger, he believes, for one of the largest developments in the county, speaking of the Tryon International Equestrian Center.

“The reality is, we have pulled a significant amount from our fund balance,” Gasperson said.

The cost to the county for extending 12 water lines was $2,190,961 with $424,103 of that paid back to the county in participation fees from residents and developers. The county is also in the process of or just completing other extensions that total $3,354,650, including an extension to the Hwy. 9/Hwy. 108 intersection in Mill Spring ($1,549650), engineering ($45,000), an extension to Sunny View ($1,610,000) and an extension to Green River Church ($150,000). Those figures are not actual costs but what the county agreed to budget for those extensions.

Other costs for the water system over the past several years includes $2,504,159 in engineering, for fire hydrants and tees and for the Lake Adger dam.

Gasperson said the county has hit a point where it can pause in the proposed water contract and asked the board if they would be willing to consider what he is proposing.

Commissioner Michael Gage said Gasperson is talking about a comprehensive water plan and asked if that is something Polk could work with ICWD to put into the contract.

Gage said he is sure ICWD has the capabilities to include a comprehensive water plan and are professionals on that.

But Gasperson said he would like to see someone independent, someone to take a fresh look who doesn’t have any potential conflicts of interest and who would be operating totally on behalf of Polk County. Gasperson said if they couldn’t get that, he would like to get someone like Dave Odom, who is the county’s engineer and has engineered many of Polk’s water line extensions.

Commissioner Shane Bradley said in looking at the county’s 20/20 vision plan, which includes a broad outlook on the county’s water system, it looks as if the county is currently in phase III of the water system.

“According to what the county has spent so far, we are still in line with the vision plan from what I see here,” said Bradley.

Gasperson responded that admittedly, the county has followed a lot with what is in the 20/20 vision plan but at the time the county was clearly planning on a water treatment plant near Lake Adger.

“That obviously appears to have changed,” Gasperson said, referring to the proposed contract with ICWD where ICWD would handle treatment of Polk County’s water from Lake Adger.

Gasperson said that’s the reason the county needs to take a good look at this and do an update with public hearings. He said he heard what a great meeting a couple of commissioners had with Lake Adger residents and what he is really seeking is to have broad based public support so a contract with ICWD can withstand the long term.

“To have as much openness and transparency as we can,” said Gasperson.

Pack asked if any other board member wants to move forward on Gasperson’s suggestions.

Gage asked where the county is with Inman-Campobello.

County manager Marche Pittman said at this point the contract is back in ICWD’s hands. He said ICWD is formulating the contract the way they want to see it.

Gage said he would like to give ICWD the opportunity to respond, then the county can move forward with Gasperson’s suggestions.

Commissioners also discussed letters sent to the county from Lake Adger developer Jim Smith, who expressed concerns over the county’s proposed contract with ICWD and the partnership’s possible negative impacts on Lake Adger homeowners.

Pack said everything Smith pointed out has been addressed in the contract.

Bradley said the Green River and Lake Adger need to be protected so he agrees 100 percent.

Commissioners were scheduled to meet again on Monday, Feb. 16 but postponed the meeting because of the ice storm. Commissioners will meet again at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 23 to discuss requests for proposals on a jail study then again at 7 p.m. for its regular meeting. There are no discussions of water on Monday’s agenda.